A hockey rink and a golf course don’t appear to have a lot in common. One is indoors, cold and the venue for a frenetic sport. The other is outdoors, generally warmer and the space where an unhurried, methodical game takes place.
But Lake Forest senior Jeff Kitzerow finds satisfaction in both venues and, as he points out, the two sports most certainly share one vital quality.
“They’re definitely two very different games, and that contrast is important,” Kitzerow said. “But both rely on hard work. I’ve always been taught to work hard, and it’s something I take pride in.”
He puts that attribute to good use as a standout forward on Lake Forest’s Varsity Blue hockey squad. What the Lake Bluff resident might lack in raw talent he makes up for with a litany of other abilities, such as consistently winning battles for the puck, impeccable positioning and creating opportunities for teammates.
He doesn’t always produce points — he had four goals and six assists through 24 games — and that’s completely fine with Lake Forest Blue coach John Murphy, who called Kitzerow the squad’s most improved player since the beginning of the season.
“He’s the type of high-energy guy all good hockey teams need,” said Murphy, a member of the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame. “He’s physically strong and causes havoc for opposing defenses. Everybody in the locker room really respects him.”
Kitzerow’s advanced aptitude on the links as a veteran caddie at Lake Forest’s Knollwood Club recently brought about some life-changing news: He was awarded a Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship shortly before Christmas.
The prestigious honor, presented annually by the Western Golf Association and Evans Scholars Foundation, covers the cost of tuition and housing for four years. Kitzerow said he plans to study finance at either Illinois or Wisconsin.
The award is a tangible result of his four years of caddying, but the gifts Kitzerow derives from hockey are also important to his development.
“Hockey’s always been a passion of mine,” he said. “There’s not a lot of deep thinking going on and that’s a good change of pace.
“In golf, the success you have comes down to the preparation you put in. In hockey, you need to have that preparation and skill so that you can react right away to what’s happening.”
Kitzerow isn’t the only Lake Forest hockey player to receive a prominent honor outside the rink. His teammate on the Lake Forest Gold squad, Jake Hardy, was recently awarded a Naval ROTC scholarship, which will cover his tuition at Vanderbilt and will require five years of active-duty service upon graduation. Hardy said serving in the military had been part of his plan before the scholarship came into play.
“I was really excited to get the good news because I was really hoping that it would work out,” Hardy said. “It’s a huge honor.
“There’s a direct translation from leadership qualities on a hockey team to what they want to see from future officers. They both entail an ability to bring people together to accomplish a common goal.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press
